Monday, October 26, 2009

Ben Lynch scored two goals against his former team, including the game winning goal, as the Lincoln Stars broke a three game losing streak Sunday afternoon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa against the Roughriders. Lincoln opened the scoring on the road when Stars affiliate forward Ryan Dzingel scored his first USHL goal (unassisted) six minutes into the first period to put Lincoln up 1-0. Ben Lynch scored his fourth goal of the season eleven minutes into the first period, on the powerplay, to increase the lead over the Roughriders, 2-0. Tucker Brockett and Brodie Reid assisted on Lynch's first goal. The Stars came out very strong in this game, as Lincoln out shot the Roughriders 13-6 in the first period. Cedar Rapids responded 47 seconds into the second period when Zach Lehrke scored for the Roughriders to bring CR within one goal at 2-1. After that goal, it was all Lincoln. Lynch added the insurance goal late in the second period (assisted by Cory Hibbeler), his fifth of the season, to increase the Stars lead over Cedar Rapids, 3-1. The Stars shutdown the powerful Cedar Rapids offense in the third period, limiting them to only 7 shots on goal, to secure the 3-1 road victory. Equally impressive, the Stars shutdown the Cedar Rapids powerplay, as the Roughriders went 0-7 with the man advantage. Win the win, the Stars improved to 4-5 (8 points) on the season, good enough for fifth place in the USHL West Division.

Quality road win against one of the top teams in the USHL right now, in their barn. There aren’t enough positive adjectives to describe this win. With their backs against the wall having lost three in a row, the Stars came out very strong in the first period and sent a message. Jared Coreau was solid between the pipes for Lincoln, stopping 24 of 25 shots to earn his fourth win of the season. Ryan Dzingel had an impressive debut for the Stars this past weekend, as the affiliate forward from Wheaton, IL scored one goal, recorded four shots on goal, and was +2 in two games for Lincoln. Mike Melbye mentioned on the radio Friday night that Dzingel will probably go back to Illinois to finish the season playing baseball and hockey for his high school team, but I’m sure the Stars will have other opportunities this season to bring him back up for a game or two. Dzingel is a player who just missed making the team after tryouts, so it’s encouraging to see him perform well in the spotlight.

It’s nice to see the team perform so well after the three tough losses in a row. This squad is still very green, but it’s great to see them perform to the best of their abilities. Just like the last couple of seasons, the Stars start off a bit slow, but we have to be patient. The first year players need some time to gain experience and confidence, but make no mistake…the talent is there. The defensive core is especially young, and somewhat inexperienced, but I believe we’ll see them improve a little bit every game. This win against a VERY good Cedar Rapids team will give the Stars locker room a much needed morale boost after the three straight losses. As fans, we just have to be patient with this group, and support them through these early tough times, knowing that by the end of the season, this squad will be a well-oiled black and blue machine.

The Stars will faceoff against another top team in the USHL this Friday night on the road against the Sioux Falls Stampede. More on that matchup later in the week.

Thanks for the post, Anonymous. I assume you meant to say, "That kind of effort DOES require skill." I agree 100%. Coach McGroarty does a great job at coaching players to block shots. That's one of the great things about his teams, they aren't afraid to sacrifice the body for the team. You gotta love that mentality.

Coach did mention in the postgame possibly trying to get Dzingel here midseason, but if not, then next season for sure. Hope Coach can make it sooner rather than later. If interested, there is a article in the Cedar Rapids paper on the game with a focus on Lynch:

Thanks a ton for the info, and the link to the newspaper article. I didn't get to listen to the game at all, so it's nice to know McGroarty mentioned the possibility of bringing up Dzingel later in the season. Like Dominick Shine and Jared Hanson, Dzingel is one of those young guys on the team who should be contributing for Lincoln for the next couple of years. The future is bright!

Great article on Lynch's return to CR. What better way to get a little payback than to bury two pucks against your former team, including the game winner.